Emojis Get the Hashtag Treatment

Posted on 4.27.2015

Instagram is the first big social network to give emojis the hashtag treatment, and only time will tell you how impactful this strategy may be.

According to the social network, emojis have become part of a universal visual language and are now used regularly to communicate emotions and feelings in ways that anyone can understand regardless of language.

“With emoji hashtags, you can discover even more by adding them to your own photos and videos, searching them on the Explore page and tapping on them when you see them in captions,” Instagram’s blog post states.

This update could be impactful for brands, as it will give them additional opportunities to increase their visibility on Instagram. That said, emoji hashtags could also become very diluted, as they provide a universal way for people across the world to express themselves.

Aside from the emoji update, it is also important to note that Instagram unveiled three new filters and announced that it will unveil new filters regularly going forward.